[Hockey News]

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -Sabres coach Lindy Ruff already knows there's enough bad blood between these teams and too much on the line

So he's not about to make anything close to a derogatory comment about the Ottawa Senators, especially with the winner of this series going to the Stanley Cup finals.

No matter that Chris Neil's blindside hit knocked out Buffalo co-captain Chris Drury and sparked an on-ice melee in February. Ruff considered it history.

The coach also made sure to praise the Senators for winning the first two playoff rounds.

"You look at it, I think the two best teams in the East are playing," he said, a day after the Sabres eliminated the New York Rangers with a 5-4 win in Game 6 of their second-round series.

Don't get Ruff, wrong, though. When asked if there's animosity between these Northeast Division rivals, he replied with a smile: "Ask me that after Game 1."

The Sabres, as the NHL's top-seeded team, will host Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday and Saturday.

Border clash: Sabres-Senators to renew hot rivalry

[blazinsabrez61]

what a series this is gonna b
old rivalries renewed, and im sure a lot of great hockey to come
i cant wait
no rly i cant...y cant they play 2day?

[9korona]

cuz they don't know who you are so they won't know what u want???

[Hockey News]

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Darcy Regier always has been struck by the simplicity of Al Arbour's advice about building a Stanley Cup champion.

"He said you need good players," the Buffalo Sabres general manager said, recalling a conversation with Arbour, who coached the New York Islanders to four titles in the 1980s. The answer wasn't enough to satisfy Regier.

"I thought, 'Oh, Al, you've got to do better than that,"' said Regier, a former Islanders assistant GM. "And he said, 'Well, you need a lot of luck - a lot of good luck."'

The top-seeded Sabres have plenty of talent going into the Eastern Conference final for a second consecutive year. And they're finally getting a fair share of breaks - particularly on the injury front - as they prepare to face the Ottawa Senators in a best-of-seven series that opens at Buffalo on Thursday.

Sabres getting breaks and getting healthy as they prepare for Senators

[blazinsabrez61]

thats right there r no injuries to speak of as of yet (knock on wood)
i remember last yr that it rly was awful - we had connolly out, i think 4 or 5 regular defensemen, and mayb more if im not mistaken
but i no that if we had our whole team play against the hurricanes, they wouldnt have stood a chance
they just snuck by last yr
and i dont want buffalo to do the same
the games they win, i want to be good, hard-fought games
they dont have to be blowouts
but buffalo should at least b the better team on the ice

[Hockey News]

OTTAWA (AP) -Daniel Alfredsson and the Ottawa Senators refused to forget how they felt last season after the Buffalo Sabres sent them home from the playoffs earlier than expected.

"We feel like we could have done more damage," Alfredsson said Tuesday, recalling the second-round loss. "And I think that's the way we're playing this year."

That loss might have been a blessing in disguise. Without it, the Senators might not have transformed from a free-scoring team to a disciplined, tight-checking squad.

"This time around, we are a better defensive team, so if we get up in a game, we're better suited for that," Alfredsson said.

The teams will open the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final series Thursday at Buffalo.

Senators sparked by memories of last year's playoff loss to Sabres

[Hockey News]

There's more than just a shot at the Stanley Cup on the line in the NHL playoff series between the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and New York Governor Eliot Spitzer have placed a friendly wager on the outcome of the best-of-seven series that starts Thursday.

McGuinty says he is betting a month's supply of Tim Horton's coffee against Spitzer's wager of a supply of chicken wings from the famous Anchor Bar in Buffalo.

Ont. premier, N.Y. governor bet on outcome of Senators-Sabres NHL playoffs

[Lefty Noob]

And Game 1 goes to the Ottawa Senators, 5-2.

According to the AP, "Oleg Saprykin scored the go-ahead goal, tipping in Dean McAmmond's centering pass 8 minutes into the third period, and Spezza sealed it with a power-play goal with 4:22 remaining... The win boosted the Senators' record to 9-2 this postseason, and helped erase the lingering memories of last year when Ottawa was eliminated in five games by Buffalo in a second-round series."

[blueandwhite]

I love the Tim Horton's vs. chicken wings thing.
Although, technically, McGuinty is the premier of Ontario and should only be a Leafs fan - but the spirit of the competition is there.
What a blow out. Still, is this a good kick in the pants for Buffalo?
It ain't over - but it was a dismal third period.
One of the problems - 20 shots on net for Buffalo. They didn't take so many penalties that they were at a disadvantage - they just didn't get the shots on net. Drury says they have to play better. yeah, I'd say that's stating the obvious.

[blazinsabrez61]

its nothing close to being over
if anything was a wake-up call for the sabres, then this should b it
they need to put forth a lot of hard work if they want to win
theyre constantly being outworked
idk if they think that cuz theyre the best team they dont need to try that hard to win or whatever it is but what theyre doing is very bad
theyre not looking like the team in the regular season - full of energy, confidence, resillience. its almost like theyre an entirely different team.
the sens worry me, dont get me wrong.
i just want the sabres to start playing at or above the levels of other teams instead of just squeaking by to win
some superiority would b appreciated
and consistency, too
and better special teams
b4 i go 2 far, lets just say the sabres need to fix some things this series if they want to move on. i will always believe, but i just want the sabres to play more like a stanley-cup-hungry team
dont u agree?

[Hockey News]

OTTAWA (CP) - The Buffalo Sabres find themselves in unfamiliar territory - and they aren't enjoying the view.

The Sabres are on the brink of elimination following a 1-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators Monday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.

History doesn't play in the Sabres' favour as only two NHL teams have rallied to win a series when down 3-0: The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders.

"Let's add 2007," said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. "You've got to remain positive. If you look back at the start of the year, the number of games we won in a row. We put some good strings together."

As a team the Sabres can't afford to get caught up in the numbers.

"I don't think we can look that far," said Sabres captain Chris Drury. "We need one good period to start and from there two periods and then hopefully a win."

Sabres not ready to give up despite trailing Ottawa 3-0 in East final

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by blazinsabrez61

its nothing close to being over

It's 3-0, Ottawa. I think it's safe to say that it's almost over now, blazinsabrez61.

[blazinsabrez61]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

It's 3-0, Ottawa. I think it's safe to say that it's almost over now, blazinsabrez61.

well at the time i said that i didnt know the sens would win 3 in a row
but its not over yet
buffalo fans are insanely hopeful

[Hockey News]

OTTAWA (CP) - Jason Spezza had a chuckle Wednesday when he was reminded that it's been a while since the Ottawa Senators have had to talk about losing a playoff game... The Senators centre wasn't concerned by Ottawa's 3-2 loss to the Sabres in Game 4 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final, although it's something he'd prefer to not see Saturday when the series resumes in Buffalo.

Senators not concerned despite failing to close out Sabres in Game 4

[Lefty Noob]

So the Sabres live to play another day. One game at a time, that's all they can do.